[Zoot]

...on this - ?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080909/t ... a1618.html

A woman failed her driving test for accidentally splashing a pedestrian who was standing near a puddle as she drove past.
It's been a wet few weeks but the examiner still didn't believe Michelle Kelly when she said she had splashed the pedestrian by accident.
Remarkably, the 31-year-old said the examiner was adamant the incident was technically a crash, and that she should have stopped and exchanged details with the man who was waiting at a bus stop in Blackley, Manchester.
The Highway Code does not forbid the splashing of pedestrians but Rule 144 states that you must not 'drive without reasonable consideration for other road users'.
Rule 147 says that drivers must 'be careful of and considerate towards all types of road users'.
Miss Kelly carried on driving when she splashed the man halfway through her third attempt at passing.
She said: "It wasn't as though I'd deluged this pedestrian. And if I'd swerved to avoid the puddle I might have caused an accident."

I actually kind of agree with the examiner here. She did not have the judgement and fore-thought to slow down when she got to a puddle deep enough to soak the bystander.

What does everyone else think?

[SAV1OUR]

After being out today I came back with a soggy sock, I agree with the examiner, it is because of cars that I have to keep my eyes on where they are as opposed to where I'm putting my foot, before I know it *kerplunk*. Very uncomfortable to walk, ban her for life.

[MK Chris]

I do agree about the forethought and judgement, however, it's ridiculous to say that it's 'technically a crash'. However, I knew you could be done for driving without due care and consideration if you splash someone, so if that's the case, then she should fail.

[TIAL]

I think it deserves to be counted as a minor fault - but certainly not a majour one.

[Ezza]

I got splashed again today. It pisses me off. I think drivers should pay more attention to things like that.

[Sunny So Cal]

I was driving on Highway 101 the other day by the beach and there was a big white SUV in front of me and right as they passed this lady riding her bicycle, they threw a baguette at her. It hit her dead in the face and then bounced off. She swerved, the poor thing, and kept control of her bike long enough to pull over. The SUV roared off and swerved in and out of traffic and for a brief amount of time I managed to get fairly close to them but I never got their full license plate. It was a bunch of teenage boys. Little twats. That to me is far worse than being splashed!

[MK Chris]

I imagine if you did that on your driving test though, it'd be an instant fail.

[Boboff]

I must admit that if I was the examiner I would have pissed myself laughing and passed her saying "good one"

[ladbroke]

I must admit that if I was the examiner I would have pissed myself laughing and passed her saying "good one"

Agreed! Aiming for the puddles is so satisfying when you manage to get one of those pedestrian people!!

[dimtim]

At the end of the day, we didn't let the roads get into such a state!! I dunno about you, but I pay my road tax, hence my liability to the roads condition should be zero. It does mean that if this doesn happen, and I agree its not nice to get soaked, that it is not my fault...... No?

Can guarantee i'd be the first to get done for 'dangerous driving' if I decided to swerve all over the road puddle dodging...!!

[foot-loose]

Examiners and instructors should spend more time worrying about teaching folk to how to actually drive and less time fannying about with puddles.

The attitude to the driving test is a joke.

[Yudster]

I was waiting to see what footy thought about this. I agree with him.

[MK Chris]

How do you teach people how to drive though, rather than teaching them to pass the test? In the time that a lot of people take to pass their test (I don't know what the average is, a one hour lesson every week for nine months to a year?) there's no way you can learn to drive properly.

[foot-loose]

Well, obviously experience is the key - the problem with the test is not so much that it fails on its own, its that the instructors spend too much time trying to get people to pass the actual test itself.

Who here actually reverses round a corner on a daily basis?
Who here drives on a motorway on a daily basis?

Why does the test make you learn how to reverse round a corner, but noone gets experience of driving on a motorway until AFTER they have passed their test? Anyone who does driving on a regular basis will agree that motorway driving is totally different to anywhere else. The concept that kids are being allowed onto motorways without anyone having to spend a bit of time teaching them how to drive on them safely is, in my opinion, ludicrous.

[MK Chris]

OK.. but at first, motorway driving is not the answer because you do have to have at least a bit of learning experience behind you first. Would you say the test should be done in stages? Two or three minor tests, the first of which requires a pass rate before moving on to the next one? I suppose that would effectively make the Pass Plus a mandatory thing before you can drive properly... I never took it myself, but I don't see making it mandatory as a bad thing.

[Yudster]

They can do what they like with the driving test as long as they don't make it retrospectively compulsory.

[MK Chris]

Apologies for the double post, but I just realised something else - there are certain things that are out of the instructor's control... such as the weather. If the pupil doesn't get to go out in very much adverse weather (and who here can say they honestly drove in snow on at least one of their lessons?) they are ill-equipped for when that weather does arrive.

[foot-loose]

I think more people have to deal with motorway driving on a daily basis than in extreme weather conditions. As I said earlier, experience is the key.

Personally, I would like everyone to experience being in an accident. It would give them an understanding on how quickly it can happen and what they can expect their car to do... or not to do under certain circumstances.

Thats not gonna happen though.

[TIAL]

I found motorways not much different to dual carriageways when I finally decided to brave them. I don't see the reason why they shouldn't be taught in the lessons.

[foot-loose]

I hear of folk that have failed their test for something daft and I feel bad for them. Then I see people making a car move in a generally forward direction, but what they are doing certainly can't be called "driving" and you wonder how the hell they passed in the first place.

[Munki Bhoy]

Basic learners should have to learn in a car park until they get the hang of all the basics. They should have to pass a test to prove they've done that.

After that, they should be let out on all the roads they get on now with the Red L plates. Then they should have to pass the current test.

After that, they should still have to use Green L plates and have to pass a third test before allowed out in the dark, in extreme conditions, and on major motorways.

Oh yeah, and I'd scrap the hazard test. It's rubbish. I passed before they came in, but I did a mock one and it failed me for identifying too many possible hazards.

Finally, you should have to resit your test every 10 years. Since you have to renew your photo licence after time period, it makes sense. Too many problems come from people passing their test and then picking up bad habits.

[foot-loose]

I agree with everything Munki says there.

[Boboff]

I think night driving is probably the most dangerous omission.

Motorway driving is generally very easy, provided you leave lots of room, and drive with a sense of impending doom.

I think courtesy should be given more emphasis. People who do not smile when they drive should be banned.

[MK Chris]

Certainly people who don't thank other drivers who let them through when there is no right of way should be banned. Miserable *.

[Yudster]

The current driving test is comsiderably harder to pass than it was when I took it. From what I can gather its basically the same test (except for the written part), but it seems that you have to reach a much higher standard to pass it. Whilst I agree that it doesn;t prepare you to drive, nothing would.

And as for reversing around corners - well no, we don't tend to do that - but it is important to be confident with manoevering your car in reverse. Whilst taking the learner to Sainsbury's to practise in the car park might be a better way, learning to reverse around a corner certainly isn't a bad method.